Just love me
by tam356
Summary: Whole story's based on two days while Lauren's staying with her uncle jack.. She's due to get married tomorrow.. What happens when joeys too proud of his reputation to date the girl he loves? All written in flashbacks. Read to find out more
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one**

22 year old Lauren branning woke up in her bed, every memory came rushing to her head of what she would be doing soon.

She groaned as she felt a spring break and dig into her back. How had her life managed to turn into this?

Ill tell you why, one person is why, one best friend, one lover, actually not a lover that was wishful thinking, he was more a one off thing, when it suited him basically.

He wasn't a lover at all, they both wanted to be together but he cared more about his reputation than he did for her.

She looked around, the unfamiliar surroundings setting in, she was in the spare bedroom at her uncle jacks house.

Lauren was getting married tomorrow,mother though dawned on her some more and she slid down into the covers, burying her head into the pillows, the very thin scrawny pillows.

Everyone knew Lauren and joey were made for each other, they also knew joey had a pretty decent reputation too, one that he was very proud of.

Joey and Lauren both adored each other, loved; dare I say. They'd told each other how they felt a lot of times but when push came to shove, joey backed out.

In reality, joey was scared, scared he'd lose his working and social reputation if he dated Lauren, she wasn't classed as a 'fit girl' as they all liked to put it, she was classed as one of the guys, friends with everyone.

They were the best of friends, had been since they were little, joeys parents, kathy and Derek were Lauren's god parents, they were also best friends with max and Tanya, well more max than Tanya, Tanya was a bit uptight and thought she was better than everyone else around her.

Joey and Lauren did everything together, from having sleepovers as kids to having parties as teenagers.

Joey was always there to protect Lauren from creepy boys while Lauren brought her feisty nature out to keep desperate girls away from joey.

This kind of thing only got stronger as they got older, Lauren was 17 when she realised that this wasn't her messing or being a good friend, these were feelings she had for joey, feelings that made her want to be more than just friends.

*flashback*

Max, Lauren and joey were stood in Lauren's bedroom cracking up with laughter, Lauren had just told max she was going to blakes party.

Blake who is Lauren's ex boyfriend, this left max and Tanya confused. She went on to explain how everyone in six form had been invited to this party, it was a house warming party, his mum and dad had bought it for him, he was a rich kid basically.

Lauren and joey were the only two people in the whole year not to be invited because Lauren had public ally embarrassed Blake, by dumping him in front of everyone after he cheated on her.

Lauren and joey had made posters, there was a picture of Blake on the posters naked in the shower, you could basically see everything. Then it said 'your dumped, cheating prick' in big red letters across the bottom of the poster.

Max was only just finding this out and he thought it was hilarious, Tanya was furious with Lauren though, saying she should be ashamed of herself for pulling such an immature stunt.

"He humiliated her Tanya, she was just returning the favour" max said causing the three of them to burst into more laughter.

"So he hasn't invited you to the party?" Tanya asked them both. "No, so that's more the reason to go right babe?" Joey smirked.

"Yep" Lauren giggled. "Lauren when are you going to start and act your age, your 17 years old for god sake! And you, your 20 joey" Tanya scolded them both.

"There young and having fun Tanya, go on off you go, have a good time and try not to cause too much trouble" max chuckled to himself.

Max adored his eldest daughter, she was so care free, fought for what she believed in, stood up for the people she loved and was generally a fun person to be around.

Lauren and joey proceeded to get very drunk as the night went on and they had a great time, everyone loved them, much to blakes dismay.

Joey had banged on for ages how Lauren shouldn't go back to Blake, saying he wasn't good enough for her, he'd said it about five times that night already and every time she just rolled her eyes at him, he'd say it loud enough to make sure Blake heard at least twice.

She had no intentions of going back to Blake but this conversation had resulted in Lauren having different kind of feelings for joey than she had before this night started.

"Good babe, you can do so much better, your beautiful" joey told her. Lauren looked at joey wide eyed, joey didn't call anyone beautiful.

She scoffed, she knew guys loved the way she looked but never herself had she found herself to be anything special, pretty much average she thought.

Joey grabbed Lauren's face as they sat on the steps on blakes back garden. "You are beautiful Lauren and you could have any guy you wanted okay?" Joey told her.

He then pecked her lips softly but quickly, taking Lauren by surprise. There's no doubt they were very drunk but it didn't mean they didn't know what they were doing.

Lauren didn't say anything, she just stared into joeys eyes. They next they knew what was happening, Lauren was sat in joeys lap, her legs wrapped securely around his waist.

"Not here joey" she said as he kissed her neck, clearly not wanting their first time together to be up against the dustbin.

"Where?" Joey asked her. "Garage" she half panted, half moaned. Lauren knew Blake had the garage done up for a place for him and his mates to hang out.

They hurried into the garage, locking it behind them, knowing exactly what was about to happen. After they had sex for the first time together, Lauren felt amazing.

Only after they both got their breaths back joey started to get dressed, leaving Lauren confused. "Where are you going?" Lauren asked him.

"Party to crash, come on" he chuckled. This hurt Lauren more than she thought it would. Had joey just used her for sex?.. I think so.

Lauren didn't see joey when she went back into the party but she heard that he had left with another girl, this was the second time that night she felt hurt by joey.

What Lauren didn't know was that joey had felt the connection between them and he panicked, resulting in him leaving; Lauren couldn't believe he could do this to her though.

That's when she figured out her feelings for joey but she didn't want them, not if they both couldn't have them together.

That's when she put her plan into action, she would test him, see if he did have any kind of feelings for her.

She seduced Blake who was more than happy to have her back, she was going to make joey jealous.

She knew joey would find out she had spent the night with Blake because abi, Alice and blakes sister, izzy were best friends.

She had no problem seducing blake, he wanted her and she knew that, using it to her advantage, obviously.

*end of flashback*

Lauren walked into the kitchen to find her uncle jack laughing over coffee. "Ugh, please stop" she said. Ronnie giggled at her as Lauren slumped on the sofa.

"Wrong side of the bed this morning babe?" Her uncle jack asked her. "Oh there's a right side to that bed?" She asked.

Jack rolled his eyes at his niece before kissing ronnie goodbye as she left for work "bye Lauren babe" ronnie shouted.

"Bye" Lauren shouted, turning around to smile at her, Lauren got on well with ronnie, she saw her as a mother figure, she could talk to her about anything and have fun with her, unlike her own mother.

Ronnie and jack kissed once more before she left. "What now?" Jack asked as he saw the disgusted look on Lauren's face.

"How can you be so lovey and... Happy, I don't like it" Lauren told him. Jack chuckled at his niece. "You don't like happy people?" He asked her.

"I don't mind happy people as long as there not always happy, there has to be arguments and disagreements too, being happy all the time isn't normal" she told him.

Jack burst into laughter at Lauren "wow, your a right bundle of joy aren't you ey?" He asked. "Nobody is that happy 24/7 it's not normal, it's creepy" she said. "In fact the sight of that happiness makes me wanna hurl" she told him.

"So you and Blake?" Jack asked. Lauren sighed at her uncle, she knew she was about to gets the same lecture she always got off him, him along with her dad and Derek too.

"Come on Lauren, you know we're all right, you and joey belong together" he told her. "Yes I know that but he doesn't want me, so what am I supposed to do?" Lauren snapped.

"You fight for him" her uncle jack said, like it was the most simple thing in the world to do.

"Oh you mean like I have been doing for the past five years, I'm done now" Lauren told him. "No Lauren what you've been doing is trying to make him jealous" jack said.

"That's a lie I only intentionally tried to make him jealous at blakes party like five years ago" she admitted, thinking back to that moment.

*flashback*

Lauren creeped out of blakes bed the next morning, rushing downstairs to get out of the house. How could she have been so,stupid she thought, to sleep with the guy that cheated on her?

Well she knew why obviously, because joey had hurt her and she wanted to hurt him back, make him jealous.

"Woah, steady" someone said as Lauren crashed into them at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh hey loz, what are you doing here? Arran asked.

"Err y'know" Lauren chuckled nervously. Arran was one of the gang, one of joey and Lauren's best friends, along with Peter and Tyler, Lauren was the only girl, she was considered as one of the guys and it certainly wouldn't go down well if they found out about Lauren and joey sleeping together.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Lauren asked Arran quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Me and joe are here to pick Alice up, seen her?" He asked me. Lauren shook her head and proceeded to get her shoes on.

Lauren looked towards the doorway as she heard it slam, she looked back down straight away, concentrating on her shoes.

"Lauren, can we talk?" Joey asked her. "What ya wanna talk about joey? The fact you used me for sex last night then disappeared with some tramp" Lauren snapped.

"You two slept together? Are you for real?" Arran asked them both, walking downstairs. Both Lauren and joey froze as Arran walked closer to them.

"Bro! She's one of the boys! One, why would you wanna sleep with her and two, like I said she's one of the boys, our best friend? Don't treat her like that" Arran told joey.

"We were both drunk, it won't be happening again" joey told him. Arran walked off to find Alice, leaving Lauren and joey stood there alone.

"Too fucking right in wont happen again, I don't want to ever see, talk or hear from you ever again" Lauren snapped.

Joeys eyes widened in shock, he knew he was out of order for living the way he did but he didn't think she would react like this.

He had all these feelings for Lauren, but he couldn't tell hr how he felt, their friends wouldn't approve and his reputation would go to pot.

He knew how much of a coward he was being but he couldn't risk losing the life he was living right now, but at the same time he couldn't bare to not have Lauren in it either.

They'd been best friends forever, he was stuck between opening up to Lauren with the chance she may reject him and keeping his friends.

"Come on Lauren, we can't let this come between us, we've been best friends since before you could talk" joey told her.

"I can't joey, my feelings for you are different than the ones you have for me" she told him truthfully, something he had trouble with doing.

Lauren didn't have time to tell Lauren he had the same feelings because Arran came downstairs with Alice.

"Baby are you leaving already?" Blake asked Lauren. She was just about to answer but got cut off by joey.

"Are you kidding me Lauren?" Joey snapped at Lauren "no I'm not, not that it's any of your business anyway" Lauren snapped back at him.

Joey was quite taken back by Lauren's comment, it had hurt him. "Bro chill yeah? It's our loz, she knows what she's doing" Arran told joey, nudging his shoulder.

"I'll ring you later yeah" Lauren told Blake, kissing him on the lips and then leaving the house. Joey followed Lauren out of the house, ready to give her a piece of his mind.

Only when he got to the front door, she was sobbing into her dads arms. Just then he realised the extent of how much he had hurt her, which hurt him.

*end of flashback*

"If you want joey, your gonna have to do something and fast kiddo, your marrying Blake tomorrow" jack told Lauren.

"Hm" she replied.

**So what do you think to this? Should I carry it on or not?**

**Please review and let me know xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

Lauren knew she had a big decision to make, she wanted joey so bad and she knew he wanted her too.

They weren't kids no more so why couldn't he just admit his feelings and forget what anybody else thought.

Joey and Arran were still best friends so as you can probably guess, Arran controlled a lot of what joey did, joey and the rest of the guys.

Joey and Arran ran R&R which was a club on the square, their rule was they were only aloud to date blonde girls because they were the only girls that were pretty.

Well it was more arrans rule but all the guys went along with it. It was a stupid rule and Lauren suspected Arran only made it up so joey couldn't date Lauren.

What joey didn't know was when Lauren was eighteen, Arran made a move on her when he was drunk, he told her he had always loved her.

Lauren blew him off and Arran didn't like it so he made the stupid rule up about dating blonde girls.

Lauren didn't get what was so special about Arran, why did joey do everything he said? Why was joey so obsessed with his reputation? Was there more to it than joey just wanting to keep his reputation?

Lauren wasn't sure what to do, at the minute she had joey in her life, not as lovers but as friends and until she worked out ho her and joey could be together, that was good enough for her.

But she got married tomorrow, so would things change then? Blake and joey didn't get on so what did that mean for lauren and joeys friendship?

She didn't know if she could go without seeing joey? Not go to parties with joey, not sleep over at joeys or generally to be able to hang out with joey?

She'd already gone four months without seeing him once before and it almost killed her.

*flashback*

After that day where Lauren had told joey she didn't want nothing to do with him, the morning after blakes party.

Lauren did her best to avoid joey, she managed to avoid him for a full week. Joey had called, text, he'd even been around the house to talk to her but max had told Tanya and abi, under no circumstances would he be aloud in the house; Lauren's instructions.

When she realised she couldn't avoid him forever, she gave into her mums constant nagging to go on this summer trip, much to her dads horror.

She was going to a summer camp in America, she would be gone for three months, which meant three months of no joey and she wouldn't even have to try and avoid him.

She jumped at the chance really, it's not like she wanted to avoid joey, she was in love with the boy but he couldn't be with her because of his 'reputation' and that hurt her that he would never pick her first.

Joey didn't know that she was going anywhere and when he noticed she was gone she made everyone promise not to tell him where she was.

Of course everyone that knew where she was thought it was stupid but they promised anyway. There was her dad, mum, uncle jack, abi and Whitney that knew where she was.

Max and jack had talked to both, Lauren and joey, trying to make them see sense and just be with each other but they were both so stubborn, it didn't matter what anybody said.

"Still not gonna change your mind darling?" Jack asked Lauren as he and her dad dropped her off at the airport. "No me and joey are a mistake it shouldn't of happened, he can't see through his promises" Lauren frowned.

"He does love you babe" her dad told her, Lauren had to force the tears back and take a deep breath before she could talk.

"Do you see him anywhere? Do you?" She snapped at both her uncle and dad. Nothing more was said after that and lauren left for America.

Lauren had agreed to extend her trip to six months, one; it would please her mum and two, it meant she was away from home for longer.

Tanya didn't like the person Lauren had grown up to be and she blamed max for the influence he had on her, abi was more like Tanya.

On the other hand max adored his not so little girl, Lauren had cried herself to sleep every night during the first two weeks of camp.

She missed joey so much, she couldn't bare not be around him, she could settle for friends. Although the thing making her cry was the thought joey didn't love her, he wanted to be with her but there was Arran in the way.

Arran must know something, he must have something, like some kind of hold on joey, why would joey just do everything Arran says?

After the first month, Lauren had only made one friend and Lauren suspected that was only because she felt sorry for her.

She didn't join in on any kind of day trips out, activities ect. She just stayed in her room all day, all night, drawing, mainly joey.

She stayed in contact with joey though, which is how she found out joey was dating a girl called Chloe. Apparently they met at a party and just hooked up.

Lauren felt heartbroken, joey could just hook up with some random girl at a party who he'd never met in his life before but he couldn't date the girl that loved him?

There was no way on earth joey could have feelings for her.. He just jumped with the first girl that came along.

After that Lauren spiralled out of control badly, she knew her and joey would be friends when she got home but for now she could hate him.

Her trip was cut short at four months, Lauren managed to have a little too much fun. She decided after the first month of camp that the other kids were to square for her and no fun to be around.

She had started hanging out with ash and Frankie who she met on a day trip out. After she met them that day, she began meeting them every night at midnight, climbing over the gates to get to them.

The three if them basically stopped out all night getting drunk and causing havoc, that was until Lauren got caught.

One of the guards caught her trying to drunkenly climb back over the gate, she ended up setting all the alarms off when she wouldn't let the guard help her down.

The camp owner came out and shouted at Lauren telling her she was on the next flight home. Lauren called her "an uptight skanky cow" and then burst into laughter before being pulled off the gate by two of the guards.

Lauren got on her flight just an hour later, after being sobered up. She had a major headache and she was sure it wouldn't get better if it was her mum that picked her up.

She prayed to god that it was either her dad, uncle jack or Derek that would be at the airport. Her wished were short lived when she found her mum waiting for her, very impatiently.

Tanya didn't say a word to Lauren but just led her into the car park. "This isn't your car" Lauren told her.

"No it's joeys, now get in" Tanya snapped at Lauren. Lauren tilted her head to see joey looking at her through the wing mirror.

She was pretty sure her mum had done this on purpose, as some kind of punishment for her because she caused an inconvenience.

This really wasn't helping her headache. The drive home was pretty awkward, Tanya was in the front with joey while Lauren was in the back.

Tanya had been having a shouting match with max most if the way home, Lauren being the subject.

Tanya threw the odd rude comment at Lauren while joey stole the odd glance. "Thankyou for this joey your a life saver" Tanya smiled at joey but glared at Lauren, as a silent warning that she was supposed to thank him now.

"Yeah such a gent, thank you so much joey" Lauren said very sarcastically. "Lauren!" Tanya snapped. Lauren shrugged her shoulders at her mum, not seeing the problem. Not seeing, not caring.

"It's fine, she's probably just grumpy from the flight still" joey said. Tanya got out of the car and Lauren took this d her chance to reply.

"Grumpy? Maybe, or maybe I just think my ex best friends just a using dick" Lauren told him before getting out of the car and slamming the door.

Joey was left shocked by Lauren's outburst, after four months of no contact he thought she might have calmed down, clearly not.

Tanya was furious with Lauren but more furious with max when he burst into laughter after Lauren explained what she'd been up to to her dad and uncle jack.

"She was having fun Tanya" max laughed along with jack. Abi had let kathy, Derek, joey and Alice I and they made their way into the kitchen as max, Lauren and jack were laughing while Tanya looked very angry.

"I won't be a minute guys" Tanya said glancing over at them. Derek and joey moved over to max, Lauren and jack, that side looking a lot more lively while kathy and Alice stayed where they was.

"Fun? Fun max? She got kicked out of the country!" Tanya shouted. Lauren didn't acknowledge joey, well she tried not to which didn't go unnoticed by max and jack.

"You got kicked out of the country?" Kathy asked, wide eyed. "Yes, breaking out of the camp, getting drunk and doing god knows what else" Tanya shouted, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.

Max, jack and Lauren shared a glance, all pulling faces as they tried not to laugh. "Oh I'm sorry, does this amuse you?" Tanya asked waving her hand at the three of them.

Lauren bit down on her lip before bursting into laughter, which caused max, jack and Derek to burst into laughter.

Tanya slapped them all over the head. Kathy smirked behind Tanya's back, she thought the whole thing was ridiculous.

"Ow! Joeys laughing too" jack laughed. Tanya spun around to see joey grinning. "No I was just admiring you.." He trailed of looking for an excuse.

Tanya raised her eyebrow at him as the others laughed behind her back. "Tea towels! Are they new?" He asked.

They all burst Into laughter again including joey this time. "Right get out! You lot can go out why us girls have some dinner" Tanya said shoving them all out of the door.

"Ooh girls? Does that mean I'm staying then?" Lauren laughed. "No I said girls, now get out" Tanya snapped, she pushed Lauren out of the door to the others as Lauren giggled.

"Let's go drink my stash at the gym boys" jack announced. Everyone began walking off "no way am I going to a smelly gym" Lauren said standing still.

"Well how about you go to joeys with him, make up and stop being such a drama queen" max told her as they carried on walking.

Lauren and joey stood there awkwardly for a minute, non of them knowing what to do or say. "Hadn't you better go and get your mums keys then?" Lauren asked him rolling her eyes.

Joey shoved his hands in his pocket, standing tall, grinning at her and feeling pretty confident at the moment.

"I have my own place now" he told her. Lauren's eyes snapped up to joeys in surprise. "Since when?" She asked him.

"Two months ago, I would've told you but you disappeared and wouldn't answer my calls" he told her.

Lauren scoffed at him, finding his comment unbelievable "we weren't friends and I was angry with you" she told him.

"That shouldn't of happened Lauren, we shouldn't of y'know" joey told her. Lauren felt the sudden feeling of her heart clenching once more as she figured joey regretted that night.

Only this time the pain was ten times worse because it wasn't Lauren telling herself that joey didn't want her but joey himself telling her.

Of course he regretted it, why else would he of got up straight after they had sex. Lauren nodded at joey "yeah it shouldn't of" she laughed.

"So we friends?" He asked her, nudging her shoulder. "Best" she replied. "Good because I can't live with out you, I've missed you a lot" he told her.

Lauren smiled at joey, thinking about confessing her love to him, she decided against it, she knew it wouldn't change nothing in the end.

Joey didn't want to be with Lauren for who she was or that he wouldn't take a risk for her so she would just have to find somebody who would.

"Lauren!" Blake shouted as he ran across the square to her. "Oh hey Blake" Lauren said. "Hey? Is that all I get" he laughed pulling Lauren into a hug.

Joey watched on, rolling his eyes at blakes desperation. "I didn't know you were back yet?" He asked her.

"I've been back like two hours at the most" she said. "I had to make a quick exit, if you know what I mean" Lauren told Blake, laughing.

Joey didn't miss the look of disgust flash across blakes face and he didn't like it.

"Come and spend the night at mine?" Blake asked. Lauren glanced at joey, then back at Blake. "Look me and you; it's not what I want anymore" Lauren told Blake.

"Excuse me?" Blake asked her. Joey chuckled and then received a glare from Blake, all though both Blake and joeys faces dropped at Lauren's next comment.

"I met someone in America" she said. They both looked at Lauren in horror. "I guess this conversations over then" Blake said before storming off in a strop.

Lauren and joey chuckled to themselves, joey wondered who this guy could be or what had happened between him and Lauren.

This hurt him more than he thought it would and he hand no idea how to deal with it.

*end of flashback*

So yeah that had hurt them, the time apart. It made them both realise hat in some way they needed to be in each others life's.

**What did you think?**

**Review please.. xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

Lauren listened to people when they told her joey was jealous but she just didn't see it. Joey had made it quite clear he only wanted to be friends and regretted that night they slept together.

It seems Lauren was the only one who thought that though, her dad had tried to persuade her otherwise lots of times too.

***flashback***

Lauren was meeting her dad for lunch, it was her day off college and max was to discuss her 18th birthdays plans, basically an excuse to talk about joey related things.

Max and Lauren eventually decided that Lauren could have her party in the R&R, Lauren wasn't too convinced at first because of joey and Arran being there.

Her and joey were still good friends but sometimes it could be awkward, she'd just get this feeling where she'd want to open her heart up to him, especially when she s drunk.

"I'll speak to joey about it, I'm sure he'll arrange something seen as its you" max said, winking at Lauren.

"Hm" Lauren replied, taking a sip of her coke. Max sighed to himself, why didn't they just get together already?

Lauren saw her dad in deep thought and she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Right I gotta go meet Whitney and Lucy, talk outfits and stuff, so why don't you go meet joey? Talk party arrangements" Lauren asked her dad.

Max smiled at his daughter and Lauren glared at her dad whilst she pointed her finger at him "and only party talk" she warned.

"Okay, yes ma'am" max chuckled. Lauren left to meet the girls while max went over to meet jack before they both headed to the R&R.

Joey, Arran, max and jack all talked through the party stuff from decorations to prices.

"What are sure?" Jack asked Arran. "Positive mate, Lauren's our girl ain't she? We've all been friends for years... We don't want a penny do we joe?" Arran asked.

Joey was in a world of his own and has hardly spoke a word since max and jack had got there, he was thinking about what Lauren said to him a couple of days ago.

_"I met someone else in America"_

Technically she said it to Blake but it felt like she was aiming it at joey, trying to make him jealous.

Joey had been having trouble with that sentence ever since she said it. He had woken up in a hot sweat in the early hours of the morning.

His dream would wake him up. In his dream it would be much like his reality. Lauren would just keep repeating 'I met someone else in America" but every time she said it, her voice would break a little bit more, followed by the hot flood of tears streaming down her face.

Joey would then go over to her and try to comfort her but every time he touched her, she would scream out in pain and a bruise would appear on her skin where he had touched her.

This would only confuse joey, all he did was touch her, he would never hurt her. Lauren would then look at him before getting up and running away and the words "I met someone else in America" would be spinning around in his head.

That was the end of the dream, forcing him to painfully wake up. He figured new things out about he dream everyday, after the third day of it he realised that even being near her was having an effect, that him just being here was hurting her.

He may not have ever hurt Lauren physically but emotionally and mentally he had hurt her so much and she hid it well, in fact he was killing her.

Now she was moving on, hence her running away in his dream. He didn't know what to do to stop her hurting though, he couldn't be with her.

"Joey? Joe!" Arran snapped, pushing his shoulder. "Uh yeah what?" Joey asked, "were not gunna take any money are we?" Arran told him.

"What for?" Joey asked Arran, looking confused. Max and jack shared a glance and smirked at each other, realising joey had been to busy thinking about Lauren.

"For god sake joe!" Arran snapped. "Lauren?" He told him. "Lauren? What about Lauren? What's wrong? Is she okay?" Joey asked quickly.

Max and jack laughed at joey as Arran grew more and more frustrated with him.

"Joe, Lauren's party in here, two weeks time, were not going to take any money of them are we?" Arran asked him again, glaring.

Joeys eyes widened "no of course not" joey eventually said, like it should've even been a question.

"We'll all the decorations and drinks, put it on a bill and give it to me at the and of the night yeah?" Max asked them both.

"Yea-" Arran started before getting cut off by joey. "No you won't ill pay for that, call it my present to Lauren" joey told max.

"Joey-" Arran went to protest. "Chill, don't worry about the clubs money" joey told Arran, rolling his eyes. Max figured he'd caught that of his daughter.

"Bro that's gonna cost hundreds, if you have that kind of money why aren't you investing it into the club?" Arran asked.

Max raised his eyebrow at Arran, he definitely wasn't one of his favourite people.

"Not everything I do revolves around this club Arran, I do have my own life too y'know" he snapped at him.

Jack raised his eyebrow and had to bite back a laugh, joey never stood up to Arran. Jack adored Lauren and joey and he knew it was only a matter of time until joey realised what he needed to do.

On the other hand max had always loved joey like a son and he wanted nothing more than for Lauren and joey to be together but he had already seen how much Lauren had been hurt by joey.

Arran went to reply but joey cut him off "Lauren is my best friend, has been most of my life so whatever she wants, she can have" joey told Arran.

"You better hope she's cheap then" Arran chuckled. Max was about to say something but joey got there first.

"Lauren is not cheap" joey said angrily before walking out. Max and jack shared a worried glance as Arran muttered "dick" under his breath.

***end of flashback***

"You don't know he was thinking about me" Lauren told max, blushing a deep red. "I know he was blushing just as bad as you are" max said.

Lauren changed the subject knowing no matter what she was marrying Blake tomorrow because there was nothing she could do now to change joeys mind, he obviously still cared way too much about his reputation than he did about Lauren.

Joey worried that If he dated Lauren, which was what he wanted more than anything, that people would be happy.

Joey and his friends only ever dated 'Barrie dolls' as Lauren liked to put it. All of them had leach blonde hair, skinny, actually they were just skin and bone, they were all quite pretty.. Nothing special though.

If you were to ask Lauren, she'd tell you they were a bunch of desperate sluts. They were really because they threw themselves at joey and the others.

She and joey both knew that things wouldn't go well for him if he dated her, people would think of him differently and he would be driven out of the cub.

They knew this because it had already happened to Tyler and almost to joey when he finally decided he wanted to be with Lauren.

***flashback***

Everyone was at the R&R for whitneys 22nd birthday party, which was just a week before Lauren's and two weeks before Lauren got married to Blake.

There was Whitney, Lauren, poppy, Lucy, Alice, abi, joey, Peter, Tyler and Arran as well as all the families too.

Basically everyone got really drunk and Lauren and joey ended up in the alley way outside the club, joey was done fighting with his feelings now, he didn't care about anything only Lauren.

Joey pushed Lauren up against the wall, cupping her face and lowering his lips down onto hers.

They both moaned into the kiss, appreciating the contact they were so desperate for since their first kiss almost five years ago.

"I want you Lauren" joey said breathlessly as he tangled his hand in her hair. Lauren suddenly pushed joey back, covering her face with her hands along with a frustrated groan, leaving a very confused joey stood in front of her.

"No, no no no no no!" Lauren groaned. "Ey what's wrong?" Joey asked her. "We can do this, that's what's fucking wrong joey!" Lauren snapped at him.

Joey looked ay Lauren wide eyed, he'd finally come to his senses after all this time and now she didn't want to?

"Babe?.. Lauren look at me" joey told her. Lauren shook her head at him. "Look at me" he told her softly, removing her hands from her face.

Lauren looked down at the floor, refusing to look in his eyes. Joey still had hold of Lauren's hands and he squeezed them gently.

"You can trust me Lauren" joey told her. "Can I?" Lauren replied looking at him with tears eyes. Joey nodded his response at her.

Lauren still wasn't sure though. "How many irks have you said that too in the past week?" She questioned him.

Joey took a breath and slowly let it out. "Nobody, just you" he told her. Lauren released a breath she had no idea she was holding.

"I've been an idiot, I want you and always have Lauren" joey told her. "Funny way of showing it" she mumbled.

"I know and I promise you that's gonna change" joey told her honestly. Lauren's head snapped up to his, she didn't think he heard her last comment.

"Joey don't make promises you can't keep" Lauren sighed. "I can keep it and ill go in there right now and tell everybody how very much in love I am with you" he told her.

"Joey.." Lauren sighed. "I mean it Lauren, I love you and. Wanna be with you" he told her. "So what's changed then joey ey?" She snapped at him. "What's changed since five years ago that your suddenly gonna risk everything?" She asked him.

"I realised what a idiot I've been, all this time I've wanted you and I told myself I couldn't because people wouldn't accept us"joey told her.

"Like I said, what's changed?" She asked again. Joey sighed, knowing he had a lot to do to change Lauren's mind about him.

"You.. Why should I risk my happiness, your happiness because other people aren't happy with it? It's bullshit Lauren!" Joey shouted.

Lauren giggled at joeys new found confidence, whether it was the alcohol or not, she still found it funny.

"Joey.. We've been here before, you tell me you love me, I fall for your stupid freakin charm and then you bail on me" she sighed.

"I won't I promise, I'm gonna go in that club right now and I'm gonna tell everyone I'm in love with you and I don't care what anyone thinks"

Lauren smiled up at him as joey ranted on about what he was going to do "why are you smiling?" Joey asked Lauren, looking confused.

"Your gonna risk losing your friends and career to be with me?" She asked him through teary eyes.

Joey stopped pacing the length of the alley way and stood in front of Lauren. "You are what I need" he told her, tucking some lose hair behind her ear.

"If I kiss you now joey you better not bail on me again because if you do ill fuc-" she began. "Woah babe, language" joey chuckled.

"I'm choosing you and I'm doing this because I want you" joey told her. "What ya waiting for then?" She smirked. Joey raised an eyebrow in confusion "kiss me" she said biting her bottom lip.

Joey smiled at Lauren before cupping her cheek, lowering his lips down onto Lauren's once more. Their lips moved together quite perfectly, like they were made to work with each other.

Joey slid his tongue along the length of Lauren's bottom lip, causing her to moan which gained him entry to her mouth.

Lauren circled her arms around joeys neck as their tongues danced together, they unwillingly broke the kiss as they were desperate for air.

Unbeknown to them jack had followed them both out, he had heard the whole conversation and loved the fact his niece wasn't just falling at joeys knees.

After they broke the kiss, joey rested his forehead on Lauren's gently. "Oi! You pair, come on it's all kicking off in there" jack shouted, laughing at them both.

Joey looked at Lauren concerned as she wore a worried expression "don't worry babe, I promise you that there's nothing nobody can say or do to stop us from being together" joey told her.

"Promise me that no matter what happens in there, you won't bail on me?" Lauren asked him shyly, needing some reassurance.

"Your all I want Lauren, I love you" he told her, that was all the convincing Lauren needed. "About time you both stopped being so stubborn as well" jack smirked.

"Shut up" Lauren smirked at her uncle jack. "What suddenly changed you mind anyway?" Jack asked joey as they walked back towards the club.

"It's what I've always wanted but our chat the other day definitely helped" joey told him. Lauren looked at them confused and brought them both to a stand still. "Err what chat?" She asked them both.

"Me and ja-" joey began to say. "He'll explain tonight, right now arrant flipping in there" jack said. "What why?" Lauren asked.

"You are a dickhead Tyler!" Was what they heard as they entered the club. Joey and jack ran in to see max holding Tyler back and Derek holding Arran back.

Lauren ran over to Whitney who was crying at the end of the bar "what's wrong babe?" Lauren asked Whitney.

"Tyler told Arran about us and he's kicking off, he's sacked him as well" Whitney sobbed. "Tyler you know we can't have people thinking we date them sort of people" Arran said.

Joey stood in the middle of the two guys "oh yeah? What kind of people Arran?" Tyler shouted. "We'll y'know Whitney mate, seriously? She's like our friend she's not girly, she's not someone you'd be proud to have is she? Not like a blonde, she's like Lauren" Arran told him.

"What did you just say?" Max snapped at Arran. "I'm not saying Lauren's not pretty, she's alright I guess but she's hardly girly, not girlfriend material anyway" Arran snapped.

Fatboy and Alfie held max back so he couldn't do anything stupid but it didn't matter because jack punched Arran anyway.

"My niece is more than alright she's stunning and if she's not girlfriend material then why are her and joey together?" Jack shouted.

Lauren gasped and her hand flew up to cover her mouth. "Is that true?' Arran snapped at joey. Joey just stayed quiet, he stared at Tyler, then at Lauren; this was a make or break for them.

Joey stared at Lauren and she knew straight away this was him bailing on her. She shook her head as hot tears fell down her cheeks.. How could he do this to her after all the promises he just made outside?

"Please" she mouthed to him. "I'm sorry" joey mouthed back before informing Arran that it wasn't true. Lauren burst into tears looking away from everyone else. Max raced over to joey and knocked him flying to the floor, that was the final straw for him.

Lauren was devastated after that, she got up and raced over the square and to her house. "Lauren Lauren wait! I'm sorry!" Joey shouted after her.

She turned around, just outside the gate of hers and blakes flat. It's a good job Blake was working away or she would've really been left with nothing.

She was only with Blake because she felt loved with him, even if she didn't love him, she felt like someone cared about her enough to risk everything to be with her.

"You promised me" Lauren sobbed. "You said you loved me" she cried. Joey had his own tears falling down his cheeks by this point.

"I do love you Lauren" he told her. "You've got a funny way of showing it" she shouted. "I want you to stay away from me now, stay the hell away from me joey!" Lauren snapped.

"No Lauren give me another chance please" he begged. "You've already had too many" she sobbed. Joey went over to try and hug her, he didn't like to see her cry, especially if he was the reason.

"Get away from my daughter joey!" Max snapped at him coming to stand by Lauren. "I do love you Lauren" joey told her.

"No, no you don't, the only person you love joey is yourself and I hate you for what you've done to me" she told him.

Joey felt his heart ache, never had he hurt this much before, he now had a feeling of just how much Lauren must if been hurting all this time now.

"You don't mean that" he told her. "I mean every word.. I'm done joey, I don't want to be hurt no more, I actually fucking hate you for hurting me so much" she told him.

"Lauren" he sighed. "I'm marrying Blake in two weeks and I don't want you to be at the wedding, I don't want you to come near me ever again" she cried.

"You don't love Blake" he said. "No but I can learn to, he loves me though, he'd risk anything to make me happy which is more than I can say for you, he'd never hurt me" she told him.

"Please Lauren" "no, go away.. Just stay away from me joey" Lauren said before walking into her flat with her dad.

***end of flashback***

"That was possibly the worst day of m life" Lauren sighed. "We all know he loves you, he's just I don't know honestly babe.. He needs to grow up and stick his middle finger up to Arran" jack said.

"I wish more than anything it was joey I'm marrying tomorrow but he cares too much about what other people think than how me or him feel" Lauren said.

"He's tried to get in contact with you at least five times a day since then and that was two weeks ago babe, maybe hear him out" max asked.

"No he made his choice, I'm marrying Blake tomorrow, I forget about joey from now" Lauren told them both.

**So this is a mega long chapter, was you expecting that?**

**Review and let me know what you thought?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

"I'm going over to the vic to meet whit, then mum and that will be over later" Lauren told her dad and uncle jack.

"So there's no chance of you changing your mind babe?" Jack asked Lauren. "Don't you think joey bailing on me the other week hurt enough? The only reason he wants to talk is to apologise but nothing will change" Lauren told him.

Her dad sighed at her "leave her alone, she's gave him enough chances, if joey was man enough, it would be him she was marrying tomorrow, hes the one too caught up in his social life" ronnie warned them.

Lauren smiled at her in appreciation. "I'll see you in about half hour babes" ronnie told Lauren. Lauren didn't have a hen night because she was too upset after everything with joey so her mum had suggested they all have a couple of drinks in the vic tonight.

"Bye" I smiled before making my way over to the vic. Lauren was walking on thin ice with Blake at the minute. Everyone knew about joey and Lauren the other week as Arran had made sure everyone knew.

That guy had a serious problem, eventually Blake found out and was furious with Lauren and with joey but Lauren assured him it was him she wanted to marry.

Nothing could go wrong tonight or she was pretty sure Blake would call off the wedding. Lauren walked into the vic and followed the noise to the table all her family and friends were.

Straight away she spotted Lauren at the bar with all of his mates, there was Arran, Peter and a bunch if whole new people she didn't recognise.

They just stared at each other, joey went to make his way over but was stopped by a load of screaming girls running past him.

"Lauren! Your here, lets celebrate" Alice told her, singing the word celebrate. Lauren forced a smile onto her lips as she was lead to the bar by Alice and her sister.

She stood at the bar awkwardly as Alice got into an argument with joey on how she was dressed. Lauren tried to blank out the conversation and succeeded.

"Want me to save you" someone whispered into Lauren's ear. She turned around to see ronnie. "Finally! Your here!" She laughed, hugging her. They both giggled still attached to each other.

"I knew it" Blake said from behind Lauren, making her and Ronnie break from the hug. Lauren looked at Blake confused and the whole pub fell silent.

"Blake what are you doing?" Lauren asked him as he looked angry. Ronnie got on the phone without anyone seeing for max and jack to come over.

By this point there was Tanya, ronnie, Alice, abi, kat, bianca, carol, foxy, Whitney, Lucy, poppy, kathy all stood by Lauren and nobody on blakes side.

"Ah yeah all of you go on her side she's the one in the wrong not me" Blake shouted. Lauren stepped forward "what is wrong with you?" Lauren snapped at him.

"I knew you'd been seeing him behind my back!" Blake snapped. "What joey? I explained all that to you!" She told him, the room silent.

"You told me you wouldn't be seeing him again" he told Lauren. "Which I haven't" she said. Blake scoffed at her "yeah what's this then?" He asked throwing his hand in the air.

"It's his local I can't ban him from coming in here!" Lauren shouted. "I don't believe you!" He shouted stepping closer.

"Quite frankly nobody gives a fuck what you think Blake, nothing is going on" joey snapped pushing Blake away from Lauren.

Blake didn't retaliate to joey because he was scared of him and joey knew it. "Just shut up Blake and go home" abi snapped at him. "Why don't you shut your mouth, nobody asked you" Blake snapped back.

Tanya gasped and max looked furious as he walked through the doors. Lauren went to answer for abi but max grabbed a hold of Blake by the neck.

"Don't you ever speak to my daughter like that again okay?" Max asked him. Blake nodded at max before he let him go.

"Why don't you tell dad Lauren? Tell dad how Blake really treats you?" Abi said. Lauren's eyes widened in horror, she glared at abi and saw the confused looks on everybody face.

"He hit her" abi told everyone "abi!" Lauren snapped. Max, jack and joeys faces fell as abi announced that. Lauren paled considerably and Blake looked furious with her.

"You are a bitch Lauren, I make one mistake and everyone has to know" Blake snapped. Max stopped joey from moving towards Blake, he wanted to know how she would handle this.

"Mistake? It wasn't a fucking mistake Blake!" She shouted at him. "You heard I had slept with joey, which wasn't true by the way" she said looking around the pub informing everyone.

"You just assumed it was true Blake and what was it you said? Hm 'I needed to Learn a lesson' that was it wasn't it?" Lauren shouted at him.

Blake nodded at Lauren, never having seen this temper before "you can go now Blake because I'm not marrying you tomorrow" she told him.

"What?" Blake asked her as the gasps travelled Round the room. "I've never loved you Blake and I never will, that I'm sorry for but not for nothing else, it's hell living with you and you treat me like crap every single day, I'm done with that, I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life" Lauren told him.

"Fine, I'm with someone else anyway" he smirked. Lauren laughed bitterly at him before swinging her arm back and punching Blake in the face, knocking him to the floor.

"Dick" she muttered before stepping over him and walking out of the door. She heard the cheers and clapping as she walked across the square, a whole load of weight lifted of her shoulders.

**_Was you expecting Blake to be like that? So Lauren's not getting married what does that mean for her and joey now?  
Will he finally step up?  
Review and let me know what you want to happen next xx_**


	5. Chapter 5

**too late?**

Joey stood there still, what just happened? He didn't know whether to be angry, sad or happy? He was happy that Lauren wasn't marrying Blake no more, sad that he still wouldn't be able to be with her because of Arran and he was so angry that she'd been treated the way she had.

Blake had actually been violent with Lauren? All this time she'd said nothing to him? Maybe if he had sorted his self out five years ago, when they first realised their feelings then Lauren wouldn't of been hurt.

Joey didn't care about the consequences no more he just wanted Lauren, he wouldn't allow for Lauren to be unhappy no more.

"Arran! Get here" joey shouted over the bar. Arran raised an eyebrow at joey, he didn't like being spoken to like that, not at all.

Max and jack were stood close by and were nudging each other, looking in joey and arrans direction.

Blake was now sat on a bar stool, with an ice pack against his eye and a tissue against his bleeding nose and every time joey looked at him he would chuckle to himself, Lauren did that to him. Max would catch him on occasion and laugh too.

"What?" Arran asked as he reached joey. "Right you can do what you like Arran but I want out of the club" he told him.

"What? No you can't!" Arran snapped. "I can do whatever I want Arran, you ain't gonna rule my life o more and me and Lauren, were gonna be together whether you like it or not" joey told Arran.

"Your making a big mistake joey!" Arran warned him. Joey knew what he was doing was risky but he wanted happiness and he could only get that with Lauren.

"The only mistake I've been making is following your rules, why do you have such a problem with Lauren ey?" Joey snapped.

"I don't, but she's not right for you" Arran said. Joey laughed bitterly "how the fuck do you know what's right for me?" Joey said.

Arran pulled a face at joey, not expecting that reply. "Look a Tyler Arran, go on look at him!" Joey snapped.

Joey narrowed his eyes at Arran until he eventually looked at Tyler. By this point the whole pub was at a stand still, much like when they had when Lauren punched Blake.

Only this time there were no angry faces, max and jack were beaming, this was what they knew would eventually happen all along, they had just had their work cut out over the past five years trying to hurry it along, they were very stubborn; Lauren and joey.

"What about him?" Arran asked raising an eyebrow. Tyler looked at joey confused, he was sat with Whitney, Lucy and fatboy.

"He left your little game didn't he? He went with Whitney like he's always wanted to and look how happy he is Arran! He's relieved he don't have to be anywhere near you and he's happy" joey shouted.

"And?.." Arran asked. "Your unreal you know that? And.. Arran! And I'm going to do the exact same" joey laughed.

"Your gonna risk hurting Lauren? You know ill tell everybody about you know what" Arran smirked. Joey could hear the whispers go around the vic, all of them keen to know what Arran knew.

Unbeknown to joey and everyone else, abi had Lauren on the phone so she could listen to the whole thing.

She was grinning to herself back at jacks flat. She was just so happy now, she didn't care about the past , joey had came through for her.

She was curious though, what exactly did Arran know that would keep joey from being with her for five years? It must be something big.

"You'll tell them what?" Max asked, because he already had an idea of what Arran was about to announce.

"I think you know don't you max..ey? Lauren worships the ground you walk on doesn't she? I wonder what she'd think of you when she finds out what your really like" Arran smirked.

"Is that what's kept you from Lauren all this time?" Max asked joey. Joey nodded "I didn't want to risk Lauren getting hurt, it'll kill her max" joey said.

"We tell her joe, then we tell the rest of the family" max said. Joey nodded at him, max didn't even know joey knew about this but obviously Arran had been bribing joey with it.

Tanya and abi looked on at max and joey confused, jack smiled sympathetically at max, he knew max was blaming himself now for Lauren being hurt and unhappy.

Lauren was still on the phone to abi, she was on her way over to the vic, she's was very confused and she wanted answers.

Blake had been wide eyed all the way through the argument, to hear all the times Lauren and joey had kissed told each other how much they loved one another and all this time Blake and Lauren had been together.

"I need to go and find Lauren" joey said. "Joey!" Abi shouted. Joey turned around to see abi coming towards him.

"Lauren's on the phone, she heard the whole thing" abi smiled. Joey felt nervous taking the phone off abi, it was now on speaker.

"Lauren?" He said down the phone. "I love you too" she replied down the phone. Joey smiled and everyone burst into cheers and applause.

It returned to silent though as Lauren's screams echoed out of the phone and around the vic. Joey looked around "blakes gone!" He gasped before running out of the vic.

Once outside the doors all he could see was Lauren's lifeless body lying in the middle of the road. "Lauren.." Joey cried.

**_Ooh was you expecting that? So what do you think happened to Lauren? And what do you think Max's big secret is?_**

**_Thankyou for the reviews, I love reading them and they make me want to write more:).. Xx_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Accident?**

Joey stayed frozen to the spot, outside the vic doors. He wasn't able to move, all he could do was Stare at that lifeless body on the floor.

It wasn't just any lifeless body though, it was Lauren; his Lauren. What had happened out here? It must have been Blake, he just disappeared.

Joey cursed himself as he remembered everything he had said in the vic, he'd told everyone he'd been in love with Lauren for five years.

He'd told them all the times they'd drunkenly kissed and declared all their love for each other and this was all in front of Blake.

I mean he was angry enough anyway, Lauren had given him a black eye and possibly broke his nose, he looked furious with her.

He probably was though, this was the second time Lauren had publically humiliated him. The first being when Lauren and joey put posters all around the school grounds then gat crashed his party.

Now she just humiliated him in front of everyone in the vic, so he had tried to humiliate her back by telling her he was with someone else only to be knocked to the floor by her; she really wasn't a woman to be messed with.

But what had happened out here? Joey thought. When he heard Lauren tell him she loved him too down the phone, it was the happiest he'd ever been and everyone was cheering for them.

Then Lauren's screams echoed down the phone, that was the most scared joey had ever been in his life as far as he can remember.

It was like it was all in slow motion, people had smiles on their faces and they were laughing, then as they realised what was happening, the laughs died down and the smiles turned into panic, worry and fear.

Joey stood there as he watched everyone fussing around Lauren, max had the look of total fear on his face, jack wasn't far behind him and Tanya looked like she was about to throw up.

Abi and Alice were crying together while Whitney and Tyler were at Lauren's side with max doing what they could. Ronnie was was on the phone to the ambulance and from what they could make out, Lauren had been hit by a car.

Joey looked across all of the people, he saw Arran staring at Lauren's body, he looked like he was about to pass out, his face was pale; then he threw up inside the alley way.

Joey furrowed his eyebrows together, why was he acting like that? Arran was normally very good at keeping his emotions under wraps.

"Joey!" Ronnie nudged him. "Sorry what?" He asked. "Are you okay?" She asked him. Joey looked at ronnie, all the colour draining from his face.

He couldn't speak so he just shook his head, max and jack watched on as ronnie tried to get through to joey.

Ronnie motioned for them to come over.. "Max, I- erm I" he began joey was trying to apologise to max.

Max put his hand on joeys shoulder and a sob escaped his lips, Max's heart dropped for him, all this time joey hadn't got together with Lauren because of him; he was protecting her from something that would probably break her.

Joey broke down in Max's arms "I'm sorry I'm so sorry" joey cried. "None of this is your fault it's my fault, you should've told me what Arran was doing, I would've told Lauren myself" he told joey.

"You would've?" Joey asked him, surprised. "Of course I would, I'd do anything for you and Lauren to be together" max said.

They heard the loud sirens come closer and then they were here on the square. "Go in the ambulance with Lauren, she's going to need you now more than ever" max said.

Tanya came over with kathy as they were putting Lauren into the ambulance. "Don't you or Tanya want to go in?" He asked them both.

"Joey I've been really stupid I've only just managed to see how much you love Lauren, I don't want to keep you apart any longer" Tanya told him.

"Go" max told him. "Thankyou" he told them both as he ran over to the ambulance and climbed in side.

He sat on a seat beside the stretcher Lauren was on. She had cuts and bruises all over her face, her bottom lip was cut, she looked like a little girl laid on that stretcher.

Joey took a hold of her hand and he held it tightly in his, he rested his forehead on her stomach and began to cry.

About a minute later he shot up, Lauren had rested her hand on the back if his head. Their eyes connected together and joey was relieved to see her smile at him.

"Lauren.." He said, releasing a breath. Lauren burst into tears as soon as he said her name. Joey gasped and hold her hand tighter, stroking her face lightly. He wanted to hold her so bad but he couldn't risk hurting her.

"I'm so sorry baby, I'm so so sorry" joey told her. "Please don't leave me joey" Lauren sobbed. Joey kissed her forehead "I will never ever leave you, I promise" he told her.

"I love you Lauren, so much" he told her, kissing her forehead again. "I love you too" she told him, she might be in a lot of pain physically but in all other ways, she wasn't hurting anymore; the pain was gone.

**_Yaay! There together:) so Lauren got hit by a car.. Accident or on purpose? And who was it?  
Thankyou for all your reviews, there much appreciated..  
Let me know what you want to happen next.._**


	7. Chapter 7

**Responsible driver?**

When they got to the hospital, Lauren was rushed away. Joey was in the waiting area when everybody else got to the hospital.

There was max and Tanya, jack, ronnie, kathy, Derek, Whitney, Tyler, Alice and abi. "Joey! What's happening?" Max asked as joey sat in one of the chairs.

"I don't know they took her and they wouldn't let me go with her" joey said. Max smiled sympathetically at him.

"Was she okay in the ambulance?" He asked hopeful. "I think she'll be okay max, she was awake in the ambulance" joey told them.

Everyone's head snapped up when joey informed them Lauren had been awake. "She's awake?" Max asked.

"Yeah, she's in quite a but of pain but she's doing well" joey told them. "Oh thank god" Tanya said.

"This was no accident max, I need to find out who did this to her, I have a idea already and when I get my hand on him I'm gonna kil-" joey began.

"Joey that's not gonna help anybody, especially not Lauren, she needs you and your not gonna be any good to her locked up are you?" Jack told him.

Joey shook his head knowing jack was right, it's just the thought of someone knowing they were gonna hurt her and then go through with it, it made him so angry and he wanted to physically damage them.

"Is everything okay with you two?" Max asked joey. "I think so, she burst into tears as soon as she saw me and then she begged me not to leave her" joey sighed.

"What did you say?" Jack asked him. "I told her how sorry I was and that I'm never leaving her, ever" joey told them all.

Max smiled at joey, finally they were together. "Lauren Branning?' A man asked as he came out of the room Lauren was in.

"Yeah that's us, I'm her dad" max said weakly. "Your daughter has had a very lucky escape mr Branning" the doctor told everyone.

"How is she?" Joey asked the doctor. "Stable, she was in a lot of pain so we've given her some pain relief which has sent her to sleep, she probably won't be awake for a couple of hours" the doctor said.

"Lauren is just suffering from cuts and bruises, she has bruised ribs too and when she's back home I'd like her to take it easy" he said.

"Of course" max told him. "Lauren's okay to go home tonight as long as she rests" he told us. "Yes of course, thankyou doctor" max said.

"What did I tell ya? Tough as rocks that girl" ronnie said looking at max and jack. Max chuckled at ronnie "yeah, that's my girl" he smiled.

"Ill go and bring the car round" max said. "You bring Lauren out joey and ill sign her discharge forms" Tanya smiled, seeing how desperate joey was together to Lauren.

"Thankyou" joey mouthed. Joey carried Lauren out of her room and into Max's car, jack took abi in his car so there was more room for Lauren in the back.

Joey held onto Lauren tightly all the way back to the square, he also carried her into max and Tanya's house, laying her on the sofa.

"Oh babe look at you" joey said to himself. He knelt down so he was at her level, brushing some hair away from her face.

She looked so peaceful now she was sleeping, she didn't look like she was in pain no more, "love you" he whispered, kissing her forehead.

He looks up to see joey and Tanya watching him from the doorway, he smiled at them awkwardly and stood up.

"I think we need to talk about this secret don't we?" Tanya said, motioning for joey and max to go through to the kitchen.

"Mum?" Abi asked. "Yes darling?" Tanya replied. "Is this secret really bad, like could it wreck our family?" Abi asked.

"Of course it won't darling" Tanya told her, forcing a smile. "Don't sugar coat it mum, you can't look me in the eye and this is the secret joeys been protecting Lauren from, this is the reason they can't be together" abi snapped.

"Abs" max sighed. "No don't, this secrets kept them apart so technically the secrets already hurt her, you may as well tell us all" she said.

"Okay, sit down" Tanya said. Abi sat down at the table with her mum, dad and joey. "It was before you was born, you have to know we love Lauren so much and we love you and Oscar too, you guys are our everythi-" max began but was cut off by a knock at the door.

Abi sighed and got up to answer the door, she came back in with two police officers. "Your daughter is Lauren Branning, she was involved in a car accident earlier this evening?" They asked.

"Yeah, yes that's us, do you know who did it?" Max asked. "Well that's why we're here sir" the police officer replied.

"Do you know a mr Joseph smith?" He asked. Max furrowed his eyebrows together, what did joey have to do with this?

"That's me" joey told then, confused. "We have reason to believe you were the responsible driver in this" they replied.

"What?" Max asked. "No, I was in the vic on the phone to Lauren when this happened, how could I have been behind the wheel of that car?" Joey said, his voice raising.

"Sorry sir, your gonna have to save your alibi for down at the station" one of the officers said motioning to the door.

"This is ridiculous he was in the vic, there's about 60 people who witnessed him in there" max told them.

"In that case you won't have a problem giving us a statement explaining that" the officer said.

Joey sighed and got up, "I need to be back for when Lauren wakes up, she'll think I've left her max" joey said, sadness in his eyes.

"Don't worry about a thing joe" joey nodded at max and walked through the door and into the police car.

**_So how did that happen? Why would they think joey did it?  
Review please.. Xx_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Where's joey?**

Max stood in the kitchen dumbfounded, what just happened? It was a waste of time taking joey to the station, he'd tell them he was in the vic and he'd prove it with all of the witnesses and Alfie's CCTV.

So where was the logic in someone trying to blame joey for this? "Yeah, jack can you come over, no not really, thanks bye" max said down the phone to jack.

"Dad what's going on?" Abi asked. "It obviously wasn't joey, whys he been arrested?" She asked. "We'll work it out abs" max told her.

Jack and Ronnie were in the kitchen less than five minutes later. "So where's the love birds?" Jack chuckled max picked up his whiskey and took a large gulp.

Ronnie slapped jack around the back of the head, she was bright enough to know they weren't called over here to see how cute Lauren and joey looked together.

"What's going on?" Jack asked looking concerned, Tanya was panic cleaning around the kitchen while Abi was on the verge of tears.

"The police came around about the driver that hit Lauren" max began. "Oh yeah, let me guess; Arran, Blake?" Jack said rolling his eyes.

Max shook his head at jack. Ronnie furrowed her eyebrows together, well it must of been an accident then?

"Joey.." Max sighed. "What?" Jack asked. "The police have reason to believe it was joey, they've just been and arrested him" he told them.

"Joey was in the vic when Lauren got hit by that car" jack said raising an eyebrow. "Yes I know that, so why would they arrest him, what reason do they have?" Max asked.

"They don't have a reason? Unless somebody set him up?" Ronnie asked. Max and jack looked in Ronnie s direction "state the obvious Ron" jack said rolling his eyes.

Ronnie raised her eyebrow at jack in warning, he held his hands up in a surrender motion. "I think I know what's happened" Abi said.

Everyone turned around to look at Abi in surprise. "Go on" max sighed. "Well it could be either two things" she told them.

Nobody replied, willing for her to carry in. "First, either Blake or Arran have sent the police in joeys direction" she began.

"And why would they do that when they'd just let him go straight away... It's stupid" Tanya told Abi.

"They might want time? Time to make a run for it, get away?" Abi asked. "Your right abs that's exactly what happened, that's the solution I got too" max told her.

"So were going with Blake or Arran have made a run for it and they sent the police joeys way so they had time to get away?" Tanya asked.

"If it was Blake who ran her over and Arran was connected some how, then that is a logical explanation" Ronnie told them.

"What's the second solution you have?" Jack asked Abi. "Well it's a bit out there but maybe joey didn't just get arrested?" She said almost in a whisper.

Max furrowed his eyebrows together at Abi, what was she talking about? Everyone in the room was confused.

"Abi.. You just saw the police come and arrest joey" max sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "Obviously, but what if they weren't real police officers" Abi said.

Max didn't reply just downed the rest of his whiskey. He thought Abi's idea was ridiculous. "Abi your way off babe" jack chuckled.

"Well I'm with option two" Abi told them. Max looked up at his daughter in surprise. "Seriously abs you think two fake police officers came and arrested joey?" Max asked her, not really wanting to hear her answer.

"Dad did you see their ID?" Abi asked. Max shook his head and jack looked at him in disbelief. "You let them take joey without seeing there ID first?" Jack asked him.

"I didn't think.. It's still not logical is it?" Max asked him. "After everything you know from me after working in the force, you didn't think it was dodgy that they didn't have ID?" Jack asked again.

Max went over to the table and poured himself a whiskey before downing down the whole contents and then poring himself another.

"What if it is true though? It makes sense" Ronnie said. Tanya was drastically pacing the kitchen by this point.

"How does that make sense Ronnie? What two fake police officers come and arrest joey?" Max asked her rolling his eyes, something he'd inherited from Lauren.

"What if Blake and Arran are in on this together, Blake wants revenge on Lauren and Arran wants revenge on joey?" Tanya told them all.

"Yes and they've come up with this plan to get their revenge in joey? They've obviously took him somewhere for a beating or something" Ronnie said.

"What and Lauren's next?" Max asked her. "It's a possibility max" jack told him. Max sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. What would he tell Lauren when she woke up?

"Ill ring the station first, pull a few strings, find out if the police have been around here today" jack told them.

Max was just about to answer when there was a knock at the door. Max answered it as everyone else followed him.

There was two police officers stood at the door, showing their ID's, two police officers jack recognised but two very different police officers to what was here half an hour ago.

They explained everything to the officers, making a statement. By the time the officers left they realised joey had in fact been arrested by two fake police officers, Arran and Blake were nowhere to be found and now joey was missing.

"Dad.." Lauren called. "Shit. What do we tell her" max panicked "we tell her the truth, about everything" Tanya glared at max.

Max swallowed a lump in his throat, this wasn't going to be pretty, not at all. He wanted joey to be with Lauren when she found this out.

Max walked into the living room seeing Lauren, she looked in a bit of pain. "Hey babe" he said. "Where's joey?" She asked, looking scared.

"That's what I need to talk to you about" max told her. Lauren burst into tears "he's left me again hasn't he? He promised me" she sobbed.

"Ey no babe he hasn't left you" max told her, stroking her arm "he'll be back very soon"

"You remember that secret? The one Arran's been holding against joey?" Max asked her. She thought about it for a moment.

"I heard that on the phone, that secrets the reason why joey wouldn't be with me" Lauren frowned. "I know it's something to do with you dad, I heard Arran, just tell me, I don't care what it is" Lauren told him.

"You will care babe" max sighed. "Dad whatever it is, nothing will change" Lauren told him. "Can you promise me that?" He asked her. Lauren nodded at him in return.

Max swallowed a lump in his throat before speaking, "just know I love you no matter what okay?" Max asked Lauren. She nodded at him, encouraging him to carry on.

_"Your adopted Lauren"_

**_Oh dear it's all kicking off in that house, Lauren's adopted, was you expecting that? .. So who were those officers? And where's joey?  
How do you think Lauren will react?  
Review and let me know your thoughts, thanks xx_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Content**

Max regretted telling Lauren as soon as those words came out of his mouth, joey should've been here for this, he's the only one who can make her feel like everything's okay.

Lauren just stared at her dad, shocked, scared, upset and angry was how she felt at the minute. "Where's joey?" She asked.

"Lauren.." Max sighed. "Where's joey?" She repeated more harshly. Everyone in the room was looking at her sympathetically.

"There's been a bit of a problem with joey" max told her. Lauren furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion, he already told her that joey hadn't left her, what else could it be?

"What kind of problem?" Lauren asked. "Joey got arrested for being the responsible driver of the car that hit you" max said, rubbing his hands over his face.

"But he was in the vic, I was in the phone to him, you were all there with him" Lauren blurted out. "I know babe" jack said, looking down at the floor.

"Well ill make a statement, I know who hit me, I saw" Lauren informed them. Everyone's head snapped up Lauren's.

"You did?" Jack asked her. "Yeah it was Blake" Lauren told them, she didn't think that was too hard to work out.

She looked at them all, they didn't really react and they looked on edge. She shifted uncomfortably, still in an incredible amount of pain.

Tanya hurried of to the kitchen and then returned a moment later with Lauren's tablets. She gave them to Lauren with a glass of water, she rolled her eyes before taking them.

"That makes sense, he was pissed at you and joey after joey admitted everything, when we heard you scream down the phone he was gone" Ronnie said.

Lauren looked at her dad, well he wasn't actually her dad was he? She thought to herself. He looked on edge.

"There's something else your not telling me" she said. Max sighed deeply "the police that arrested joey, they were fake" max told her.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, very much not liking the sound of this. "They weren't real police officers only disguised as officers" max told her.

"Well didn't they show you their ID?" Lauren asked her dad. Max looked away "you didn't see their ID?" She asked max shocked.

"Right? That's what I said" jack informed them all. Max glared at jack. "Where's joey now?" She asked, all of a sudden becoming worried.

"Well were not sure we think those fake police had something to do with Arran and Blake because they've disappeared from the face of earth, the police are out looking for them now" max said.

"So they took joey? And you don't know where he is?" Lauren panicked, going to get up but crying out in pain.

"Lauren!" Abi cried. Lauren looked at Abi, cursing herself for being stupid while she was in the room.

"What will they do with him? What if they hurt him?" Lauren asked as tears started to fill up in her eyes. Max and jacks heart soared for the girl they adored.

Lauren could feel her bottom lip start to wobble but her attention turned to the door as it opened, she was very surprised to see the person stood there.

"It's gonna take more than a bunch of pretty boys to keep me away from you" joey said, smiling at Lauren from the doorway.

Lauren felt like her heart stopped for a second. "Joey.." Lauren almost cried, she stood up to move but fell to her knees on the floor in pain.

Everyone gasped and panicked but joey was at her side before they could do anything. "Ey, I thought you was taking it easy" joey told her.

He picked her up off the floor and sat her in his lap as he sat on the sofa. "I was but you weren't here and I thought you'd left me again" she said, her voice breaking.

Joeys face paled, something max and jack didn't miss. "I promised I would leave you didn't I ey?" He told her smiling.

Lauren nodded her head and rested it against joeys chest, joey revelled in being able to hold her close.

"Lauren do you want to talk about the other thing now or later?" Max asked her quietly. Lauren froze against joeys body causing joey to look up at max.

Max nodded at joey, letting him know that he had told Lauren. "Later" she told them, her voice breaking.

Everyone began to leave the room and Lauren curled into joey some more. Max paused at the door. "I.. If you need anything just call" max said, already on the verge of tears. Joey smiled at him sympathetically, knowing he loved and adored Lauren more than anything; this had to be torture for him.

"How are you feeling babe?" Joey asked Lauren moving her face with his index finger so she was looking at him.

Lauren stared him in the eyes "everything hurts" she told him. Joey moved all the hair out of her face and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"It'll get better soon" he told her. "Dad told me that Blake and Arran took you for revenge" Lauren frowned. "for Arran's sake probably" joey sighed.

"What if Blake wants his revenge, will he come back for me?" Lauren asked joey. Joeys grip tightened on Lauren, he promised himself right then that if anyone ever hurt Lauren, he would hurt them ten times more.

"I won't let anyone touch you" joey told her. Lauren smiled to herself, everything was over and she had joey.

"I love you" she told him. "I love you too baby" joey said. Joey lowered his lips onto Lauren's, there Los worked together perfectly before joey swiped his tongue across the bottom if Lauren's lip.

Her breath hitched before she gained him entry, his tongue meeting hers, Lauren moaned into the kiss as joey applied more pressure.

Smiling into the kiss joey pulled Lauren closer by her waist, being very careful not to hurt her. They broke the kiss minutes later needing some air.

"Beautiful" he smiled. Lauren giggled and rested against joeys chest again, feeling very content at the moment.

**_Thankyou for all of your reviews... Let me know what you thought.. Xx_**


	10. Chapter 10

**Revenge**

Lauren had stayed cuddled up with joey all afternoon, he had heard the odd row between max and Tanya and they had also realised that jack had been thrown out by max.

They had heard a row between just max and jack, jack had finally flipped telling max it was about time he manned up and started telling his daughter he supposedly loved the truth.

Max must of just lost it because all they could hear was shouting, doors slamming and thumbing were someone had been pushed against a wall.

There was no word from Tanya, ronnie or abi though, so they must have gone somewhere or just kept out of it.

Lauren had completely frozen up against joey and had been sobbing against him for a while. Joey was in two minds whether to go out there and sort them both out but would only upset Lauren more that she would be left on her own or stay with hers and hold her while she cried, he chose option two.

It was about ten minutes after max had thrown jack out that Lauren and joeys very comfortable silence was broke.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked Lauren, still very worried about her. "Why did dad get so angry? They've never fallen out before" Lauren told him.

"I don't know babe, I guess jack gave your dad some home truths and he didn't like it, he just lost it I guess" joey said.

"Why though?" Lauren asked him. "Babe, I think your dad has wanted to tell you that you were adopted for a long time now, he just didn't want to hurt you because he loves you too much" joey told her.

Lauren frowned. "But if he had told me from being young, I could've been with you from the beginning" Lauren told him.

"I know babe, I guess he was just scared of losing you" joey told her. Lauren thought about it for a moment.

"He's said all his life he'd do anything for me and you to be together right?" Lauren asked. Joey nodded at Lauren, not quite sure where she was going with this.

"All he had to do was tell me I was adopted, then we could've been together from the start" Lauren said.

"Yeah bu-" joey began. "No buts joey, I wouldn't of got involved with Blake meaning there'd be no trouble with him, he'd have no reason to get revenge on me and Arran wouldn't be able to blackmail you because there'd be nothing to blackmail you with" Lauren sighed.

"What you saying babe?" Joey asked her. "I'm saying that if dad had been honest with me from the start, we definitely wouldn't be in this mess, if he wants someone to blame he needs to take a glimpse in the mirror" she said angrily.

Joey sighed, he didn't want this, he didn't want this secret to come between Lauren and max. "I should never have told the whole pub I didn't care about the secret" joey said as he shifted Lauren off him.

"What did you expect me to do joey? I've just found out I've been lied to all my life" Lauren told him.

"I know but you weren't supposed to find out" joey said standing by the dining table, covering his face with his hands and sighing.

"So your saying they should of kept lying?" Lauren asked him, moving her body into a sitting position without hurting herself.

"No!.. I don't know, either way would of hurt you" he sighed. "No if he'd told the truth from the beginning then we wouldn't be here having this conversation" Lauren said.

"He didn't want to hurt you" joey said. "Well I hope that's working out for him" Lauren mumbled. Lauren moved herself to sit on the arm of the sofa without hurting herself.

"Lauren.. Your supposed to be resting" joey said, still at the other side of the room. "Why don't you help me then?" She asked him.

Joey just stared at her "no I thought not" she snapped at him. "Have you thought how your dad feels in all of this?" Joey asked her.

"He shouldn't of lied then there'd be nothing to be upset about" Lauren told him. "I shouldn't of boasted off to Arran in the vic, then we wouldn't of been in this position" joey sighed.

"No we definitely wouldn't be in this position because if you didn't say anything then we'd probably not be together in fact we wouldn't be together" Lauren told him.

Joey didn't answer her, just sighed. "Look joey you've done nothing wrong and this isn't your fault, the only people to blame here are my parents" Lauren said.

They heard a thud against the wall and then the door slammed. "Crap.." Lauren whispered. Joeys face turned to the door.

"Yeah nice one Lauren" joey snapped. "Well he's only got himself to blame" Lauren replied. Joey raised an eyebrow at Lauren.

"He loves you, how can you say that" joey asked her. "He shouldn't of lied" Lauren told him. "He didn't want to hurt you Lauren" joey shouted this time.

"You are so heartless and cold how can you just treat him like this, he was protecting you" joey shouted.

Lauren swallowed the harsh lump in her throat "I'm not heartless!" She snapped at him. Joey regretted those words but he couldn't take them back now.

"Selfish then, I'm going to find your dad, see if he's okay because clearly you don't care, he's hurting Lauren!" Joey snapped.

"That's it run away joey because dads hurting it doesn't matter if I am" Lauren said with tears in her eyes. Joey stopped as he opened the door to turn around and face Lauren, Tanya, abi and ronnie came into see what was going off through the other door.

"I care if your hurting too but your dads done a lot for me over the years babe" joey said going to walk away.

"Like I said, run away, just like you always do" Lauren snapped. "I'm not running away from you Lauren, I promise I'm not" joey told her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep" she muttered. "Lauren.." He sighed. "You promised me a lot of times we would be together and you bail on me, you promised me you'd never let Blake or Arran touch me" she sighed.

"I won't" joey told her. "If your with my dad, how are you gonna make sure of that?" Lauren asked. Joey stared at her "but most of all you promised me you wouldn't leave me again?" She said.

"Babe, I'm not leaving you I'm just going to check on your dad" he sighed. "He's a grown man joey, what about me?" Lauren said.

"Ill be back soon I promise" he told her. Lauren let the tears fall down her cheeks as a sob escaped her lips which caused joey to turn around.

He rushed forward to her but she put her arm out creating a barrier between them, "no you know what? If your gonna go then just go" Lauren snapped.

"Lauren.." Joey sighed. "But if you walk out now, don't you dare come back joey!" Lauren warned him. "I'm just going to check on your dad" he sighed.

"I mean it joey, I'm sick of becoming second best to everybody else" she snapped. "Ill be back with your dad as soon as possible babe, I love you, please don't over react" joey said, walking out of the door.

Lauren stared at the door in complete shock. She burst into tears and fell to the floor in pain, she'd been stood up to long and her body wasn't strong enough.

"He left.." Lauren cried. "Come on darling lets lay you down" Tanya told Lauren moving her to the sofa.

/

Joey leant against the door, he could hear Lauren's cries from where he was stood and he wanted nothing more than to be in there with her.

He couldn't though, he felt too guilty in all of this. He shouldn't of come between her and max; he had to at least try and get them talking.

/

Lauren waited until she knew the rest of the girls had gone to check on jack and she rang both her dad and joey only to receive no answer.

She sighed to herself, feeling frustrated again when she heard the door slam. "Honey I'm home" the voice sent chills down her back.

"What are you doing here? The police are looking for you?" Lauren told him. The door slammed again and Lauren was relieved to know someone else had made it to the house to save her from this creep she was with.

She looked at Arran and he didn't seem fazed though, that only meant that he knew who was at the other end of the living room door... She was fucked.

Blake entered the house smirking at Lauren. "Hello beautiful" he smirked. Lauren pulled a disgusted face "you two need to leave now" Lauren snapped.

"When you've paid for ripping my friendships apart" Arran snarled "and when you've paid for wrecking a good five years of my life" Blake told her.

Lauren swallowed a lump in her throat, this wasn't going to be nice at all. "Get away from me now" she warned Arran as he grabbed a whole load of her hair in his hand.

" ahhh" Lauren cried out in pain as Arran yanked it back. She cried out again as she received a wack to the stomach by a harsh object, falling to the floor, then receiving a hand hit her face.

Arran got down on his knees and pressed his lips to Lauren's , she struggled against him while Blake groaped her breast.

"OI!" Max shouted rushing in to the living room. They both got up and went to run but fatboy and Tyler grabbed hold of them, that's where max had gone, to find fatboy and Tyler so they could find Blake.

Lauren was sobbing on the floor in agony.

_"Daddy.." _

**Ooh it just doesn't get better does it? Thankyou for all the reviews.. Xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Where's Lauren?**

_"Daddy"_

Max's heart dropped at the sight in front of him, he wanted nothing more to break every bone in those boys body but right now his little girl needed him.

Lauren whimpered on the floor she couldn't move, if she thought she was in pain before; that was nothing.

Max was at his daughters side in an instant "where is everyone Lauren?" "They went to check on uncle jack" Lauren sobbed as max got on the phone to an ambulance.

He put the phone own and furrowed his eyebrows together "where's joey?" He asked. "We fell out and he left.. Again" she sobbed.

"What happened?" He asked Lauren, annoyed joey had left her again. "We argued about the adoption thing and he wanted to find you to see if you were okay" she told him.

"Then what?" He asked. "He only cared how you were feeling and not me, I told him not to come back if he walks out that door" Lauren sighed.

"And he walked out?" Max asked. Lauren nodded her response at him "he keeps breaking his promises, he promised me he wouldn't let Blake or Arran touch me" Lauren said, her voice breaking.

"Ey, it's okay.. Look the police are here" max said moving to the window. Max watched the two boys being forced into the police car, a slight smirk on his face; it dropping when he saw the smirk on Blake's face.

His attention turned to his daughter who was still lying on the the floor and let out a yelp of pain in attempt to move.

"Lauren!" He panicked rushing over to her. "Stay still for me please" he told her. He wanted to hold her so bad but at the moment it caused her a tremendous amount if pain just to breath.

"Daddy.. It hurts" Lauren sobbed. "I know babe, the ambulance will be here any second I can hear the sirens" max told her.

Max let his eyes wander from Lauren's face, there were bruises already forming, blood running down her face from the cuts and her lip was busted.

Her face looked worse than it would of because she still had a cut lip and bruises from the car accident.

She couldn't move her body at all, it didn't help that it had already been hard enough to move after she got hit by the car.

Max then looked at her neck seeing the redness turn darker. Lauren watched her dad watching him and decided truth was the best policy.

"I don't blame you, your still my dad it was just a shock" she told him. Max smiled at his daughter, a weight lifted off his shoulders.

"They tried to rape me dad" Lauren blurted out. Max's eyes shot up to Lauren's. "it's all okay now sweetheart" he reassured her.

The ambulance came into the room and put Lauren on a stretcher, Lauren crying out in pain as they did.

"Joeys on his way, I just got a text" max told Lauren as she was being put into the ambulance. "He broke his promise dad.. He promised me he wouldn't let them hurt me" Lauren sobbed.

Max smiled at her sympathetically before being bombarded with questions by jack, Tanya and Abi as they sprinted over to the ambulance.

/

Max decided to stay behind and wait for joey together here while the others went to the hospital. Ten minutes later joey walked into the kitchen.

He saw max and sighed "I've been looking for you everywhere max" joey told him. "I just got your voicemails, you left Lauren?" He asked.

"Yeah but only to see if you were okay" he told him. "What about Lauren joey? Was Lauren okay?" Max snapped.

"No but she had everyone else here" joey told him. "I've spoke to Lauren" max sighed. "Ill go in and see her now" joey said, turning around.

"She's not there" max told him. Joey turned around to look at max "I believe you promised her earlier that you'd never leave her again?" Max asked joey, whiskey in hand.

"Yeah bu-" "oh no buts joey, when you make a promise you keep it" max snapped. "Where's Lauren?" Joey asked, becoming worried.

"She doesn't want to see you" max told him. "You promised her you wouldn't leave and yet you did?" Max asked.

"This whole thing is my fault" joey said. "No this whole thing is my fault joey, anything you said to Arran wasn't your fault" max sighed, seeing how upset joey was.

"I thought that maybe if I left then she wouldn't get hurt no more, Blake and Arran would leave her alone" joey sighed.

"Well that's were your wrong joey" max told him. Joeys eyes searched Max's for anything, he didn't know if he was just using a figure of speech or if she had been hurt.

"What do you mean?" Joey asked him. "I believe you also promised Lauren you wouldn't let Blake or Arran touch Lauren?" Max asked him.

"Yes and I won't" joey told him, not believing max could ask him something like that. "Has something happened, where's Lauren?" Joey snapped now.

"Was Lauren scared when she thought they might come back and get their own revenge on her?" Max asked.

"Max.." Joey sighed "was she?" He snapped. "Yeah she was, she was really scared" joey told him. "So you can imagine how scared my little girl was when they did actually come back for her" max said calmly.

Joeys face paled considerably "WHEN SHE WAS IN THE HOUSE BY HERSELF!" Mx shouted. "Has she been hurt.. By Blake and Arran, have they touched her max?" Joey asked.

"Max please come on, you know Lauren's my life and I only went to find you to bring you back so you and Lauren could make amends because I felt like I was to blame, you know how much I love her max.. Please" joey begged, tears filling up his eyes.

Max stood there shocked, he wasn't expecting joey of all people to stand there and beg and cry, he was expecting him to get defensive and storm out.

He actually felt guilty now, he knew how much joey loved Lauren, he was just angry. "Yeah.. They hurt her" max sighed, his own tears forming.

I came back to the house and Arran was practically pulling her hair out while kissing her and Blake he was pinching her face so hard it drew blood while he was touching her and Lauren.." Max fell into a sob.

"Lauren, she.. She was on the floor crying trying to get away" he told him. Joey just let the tears freely run down his cheeks as he stared at max, not saying a word just staring.

"Did they do anything else?" He asked. "She couldn't move of the floor at all, when the ambulance took her I saw a base ball bat by the sofa.. I think they used that" max said.

"Oh my.." Joey began, he was cut off and jumped for the sink throwing up. "The ambulance said she suffered several blows to the ribs and one, maybe two to the face" max told him.

Joey turned hysterical, face down in the sink. "Joe.." Max sighed. "This is all my fault" joey cried "if I'd kept my mouth shut, this would never of happened, If I hadn't humiliated Arran in front of the whole vic, this wouldn't of happened" he cried.

"They are sick people joey, this isn't your fault" max told him, shaking his shoulder. "Now come on we're going to the hospital and your going to see Lauren" max told him firmly.

"She won't want to see me" joey sighed. "Quite frankly, I'm not giving her much choice" max said leading joey out of the house.

**Ohh:( review please:)) xx**


	12. Chapter 12

Max, jack and joey raced their way through the hospital searching for the room Lauren was in. Joeys eyes were red roar, so were Max's.

Joey had been sick four more times on the way to the hospital, the thought that Lauren would reject after all this time made him physically sick.

He couldn't blame her though, he had broke promise after promise to Lauren, he had only ever had her best interest at heart though.

Max and joey had a minor hiccup on the way to hospital, joey received a phone call from tyler, Blake and Arran had made a run for it when they got to the police station.

Joey was furious to say the least, max and joey made a u turn to the club, joey knew that's exactly were Arran would've gone.

***flashback***

"Max turn around, go back to the club" joey told him. "What, why?" Max asked him, confused. "Joey Lauren needs you" max told him.

"Blake and Arran escaped at the police station" joey told max. That was all the information max needed and he spun the car around, racing back to walford; breaking plenty of speed limits on the way too.

"I'm gonna kill em, I'm gonna fucking kill em!" Joey repeated over and over until they finally reached the club.

They pulled up outside the club, finding the doors locked "were else would they go?" Max asked joey. "Oh there here alright, there not stupid.." Joey told him.

Max furrowed his eyebrows together at joey. Joey pulled his set of keys out of his pocket to the club and smirked at max, earning a chuckle.

"Wait for jack, I'll go in" joey told max. "What, no, no joey! There's two of them one of you" max told him shocked.

"Please, there two pretty boys that have to hit a girl because they couldn't possibly hit a man.. I promised myself that if they ever hurt Lauren I'd hurt them max" joey told him.

Max nodded understanding that joey needed to protect Lauren. Joey walked quietly down the steps of the club and stopped outside the office door where he could hear Arran and Blake talking.

Joeys skin crawled as he heard Blake talking about Lauren like she was just some animal. "Bro, I think you broke her bones" Arran said.

"I heard something crack when I hit her in the ribs with the baseball bat" Blake laughed. These guys were so dead joey thought to himself.

"I can't believe you stuck with her for five years" arran said. "Me either mate, she's frigid and just not what my kind if girl should be, I was only with her to make joey jealous" Blake informed Arran.

Joey clenched his fists as they carried on talking about Lauren. "Wait so you beat Lauren, for like the whole time you were together?" Arran asked Blake.

"Yeah she deserved it, acting like a slut, all the times you came to me and told me Lauren had kissed joey or she was flirting with him , that's not a way you act when your in a committed relationship" Blake said.

"So if I hadn't if told you those things, you wouldn't of hit her?" Arran asked. "Probably not but then it would've been boring" they both laughed as Blake said that and that was the final straw for joey.

He swung the door open "alright boys?" He smirked. He tried not to lose his temper straight away, he wanted to play this cool.

"Don't mind if I join you.. Do you?" He asked them indicating to the several already empty glasses on the table.

He could see they had both had a fair amount to drink already, this was gonna be easy. Their faces paled a considerable amount, making joey chuckle.

"So what were you talking about before I so rudely interrupted?" Joey asked them both, pouring himself a large whiskey.

Truth be told he was still so nervous about going to see Lauren, about being rejected by Lauren, he needed this drink.

"Uh..err.." Blake stuttered out. Joey took a large gulp of his whiskey and looked up at both boys. "Wow.. Blake stuck for words? Now that's a first but I suppose there's a first time for everything right?" He asked them.

Blake and Arran looked at joey confused, knowing he didn't just come here for a catchup and a drink. "What do ya want joe?" Arran asked, paling when joey turned to look at him.

"I want to know exactly what you did to my girlfriend" joey snapped. "Now would be nice Arran" joey snapped again.

Arran didn't answer him so he turned to look at Blake who had also taken to the shy side.

"Okay okay" joey chuckled "in fact I don't wanna know what's happened so I'll let you off" joey told them, he saw them visibly relax.

"Y'know I don't normally resort to violence, you know that don't you Arran?" Joey asked. Arran nodded at him.

Joey took another drink of his whiskey and looked at the boys again. "But like I said, there's a first time for everything right?" Joey asked.

All emotion fell from the boys faces as they clicked onto what joey was saying. "Look joe it was an accident" Arran blurted out.

"Oh and there's the voice" joey chuckled. "Like I said I don't normally do violence but when it comes to Lauren.. I make an exception boys" joey told them both.

Max and jack bolted down the stairs but stayed outside the office when they could hear joey talking. "You see, I love Lauren and Lauren loves me it simple.. If people don't like that, I don't really care but people who touch or hurt Lauren because of that, that's not okay with me.. Do you understand?" Joey asked them.

Max and jack both smiled, hearing what joey said to lake and Arran. "That's good then you'll understand this too" joey told him before punching Arran in the face before he fell to the floor.

Blake moved forward to hit joey and joey just laughed in his face causing Blake to stop and question his motive.

"You are the worst, you are sick!" Joey shouted. He pushed Blake up against the wall, kneeing him in between his legs and also punching him in the face.

Joey chuckled at Blake on the floor, not concentrating on anything else so he didn't see Arran come charging towards him.

Arran punched joey in the face but didn't knock him over. Joey began throwing punches at the both of them losing his temper.

Max and jack then came in and they also got punches in, max had lost his temper with Blake and jack had to remove him from the room.

By the time they were finished, the whole office was trashed up with Arran and Blake sprawled across the floor.

Joey had also got Arran to sign the club over to him, with a promise that he'd let him and Blake make a run for it.

Joey agreed, knowing the police were waiting outside the doors for them. So Blake and Arran got arrested for good this time.

***end of flashback***

"Lauren branning, she was brought in not long ago" max told the receptionist. Max realised Lauren had been brought in two hours ago, Tanya would go spare if took them that long to get here.

They ran to Lauren's room seeing that she was awake again, Tanya and abi were inside her room talking to her.

"Go to the nurses office, get your face seen to" max told joey. "No, I wanna see Lauren" joey protested. "Not like that your not, let me talk to her first" max said.

Joey reluctantly went to get his face patched up while max was able to speak to Lauren and hopefully convince her to at least hear joey out.

"Hey babe" max said, walking into Lauren's room. Everyone saw Max's face was cut, bruised and bleeding.

Tanya scowled at max as Ronnie shook her head. "Well I heard Blake and Arran escaped.." Ronnie began.

"What?" Lauren screeched. "It's okay babe the police have them now" max said, calming Lauren. "Jacks face is exactly like yours max so I'm guessing you taught them a lesson?" Ronnie asked him.

Max smirked at Ronnie and Tanya scowled at him. "For god sake max, will you ever act your age?" Tanya asked him storming out of the room.

"I'm guessing joey was involved too?" Ronnie asked.. Max looked at Lauren whose face had just lit up just by hearing his name.

He nodded at Lauren. "And where is he?" Ronnie asked. "Well he wanted to see Lauren but I sent him to get his face sorted out" max informed her.

"Wait! Joeys here?" Lauren asked, trying to sit up but failing. "Steady Lauren!" Max snapped at her. "You mean he's actually here, like really? And he wants to see me?" Lauren asked her dad in shock.

"Of course I want to see you" joey said from the doorway. "Ey, i thought I told you to get that checked out" max told him.

Joey guiltly smiled at max, max chuckling in response. "I needed to see Lauren, she's more important" he told him.

Lauren was smiling, smiling at joey and Ronnie took that as her cue to leave, dragging max with her.

"Hey" joey smiled, walking over to Lauren. "Hi" she replied back. Joey sighed, he wasn't going ton beat around the bush.

"I'm sorry" he said. Lauren furrowed her eyebrows together, causing a little pain to the top of her head. "Why you sorry?" She asked him.

"For leaving when I promised I wouldn't" he told her. "I didn't know your mum and that were going out or I would never of left you there alone, I'd never put you at risk Lauren" joey rambled.

"Joey" Lauren sighed. "I just wanted you and your dad to be okay again, I want blaming you, I just wanted to find him so you two could make up" he told her.

"It's okay joey" Lauren smiled, reaching out for his hand. Joey entwined there fingers together before looking at her.

"It's not okay babe, look at you, look what they did" joey told her. He looked at her face it was a lot more bruised than before, it was covered in cuts and her cheek was swollen.

"But it's over now joey" Lauren told him. "Me and dad are okay, were more than okay and Blake and Arran are gone now for good, we do t have to worry about anybody no more" Lauren told him.

"I love you" Lauren said. Joey smiled at her "I love you too baby". He leant down and softly kissed her forehead.

"The doctor had a moan at me" she sighed. Joey looked at her confused. "Apparently this isn't bed resting" she giggled.

"From now on Lauren, you don't stay on your mums sofa, your going back to your flat and your going to be on complete bed rest because I'm going to look after you and make sure you don't have to move an inch" joey told her seriously.

"That's what I like to hear" the doctor said walking into Lauren's room. Lauren rolled her eyes at the pair of them.

"Discharge forms Lauren" the doctor told her. Lauren smiled widely "complete bed rest Lauren, I don't want no more incidents like this" the doctor warned her.

"Yeah, got it" she replied. Lauren tried to get up off the bed but failed miserably, crying out in pain. "Ey, careful" joey said moving to her side.

He lifted her off the bed and into the waiting wheelchair. "A wheelchair joey.. Seriously?" Lauren asked him.

"If you want to get better you better listen to what I have to say" joey chuckled. "Yes sir" Lauren laughed.

Joey knelt on the floor so he could put Lauren's shoes on her feet, when he'd finished he looked up at her.

"I promise things will get better now baby, it's just you and me now.." Joey smiled. "It's all I've ever wanted" Lauren told him.

Joey leant up further and gently pressed his lips onto Lauren's, this time Lauren slid her tongue across joeys lip, she needed to feel him.

Lauren could feel joeys bulge growing.. "I want you joey" Lauren breathed out. "I don't want to hurt you babe" he told her.

"You won't I promise and if you do I'll tell you.. I just want you" she told him.. "And I want you" joey said.

Lauren moved her lips back onto joey and their tongues worked together earning moans from both of them before they broke the kiss.

"Were gonna be happy forever Lauren, that I can promise" joey told her. Lauren smiled up at joey. "Any requests?" he smirked.

_Just love me _

"Always baby" joey told her, kissing her cheek tenderly.

**_Right so thankyou so much to everyone that has reviewed this story..  
Unfortunately this was the last chapter and the end of this story.. I do have two new stories planned though. Xxxx_**


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